instrumental music program handbook · pdf file 6 instrumental music program handbook in...

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

PROGRAM

2018

LAST UPDATED: 18 April 2018

2 INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM HANDBOOK

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM HANDBOOK 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS MUSIC AT GLASSHOUSE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE ..................................................................................... 4

RATIONALE ................................................................................................................................................... 4

Year 3: Smart Stings................................................................................................................................... 5

Year 4 onwards: ......................................................................................................................................... 5

BAND PROGRAM ......................................................................................................................................... 6

At the end of Year 4:................................................................................................................................. 6

Year 5: Instrumental Band Program ........................................................................................................ 6

Year 6 onwards: ......................................................................................................................................... 6

COLLEGE ENSEMBLES ................................................................................................................................. 7

LESSON TIMES ............................................................................................................................................... 8

FEES .................................................................................................................................................................. 8

ABSENCE ........................................................................................................................................................ 8

WITHDRAWAL OF TUITION ................................................................................................................... 8

INSTRUMENTAL, VOCAL & PERFORMANCE TEACHERS ..................................................................... 9

VOCAL & INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM ..................................................................................... 10

STUDENT ENROLMENT & RE-ENROLMENT 2017 ............................................................................... 10

INSTRUMENT LOAN AGREEMENT 2017 ................................................................................................ 10

4 INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM HANDBOOK

MUSIC AT GLASSHOUSE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

Music is for everybody, and like many of the other marvels of humanity, needs to be inculcated as early as possible.

This is not some kind of ‘high culture’ limited to the privileged, but a treasure chest which can and must be made

available and accessible to enrich every life. (Rattle, 1998)

RATIONALE

The Arts offer ways to learn about the world that include far more than spoken and written language. When

students participate as artists and as audience, they engage their senses, physical skills, emotional and spiritual

sensibilities, as well as their intellect to make meaning of the world. Through the Arts we express and

communicate what it is to be human and we develop, share and pass on understandings of our histories, our

cultures, and ourselves to future generations.

The Arts are widely recognised as powerful educative tools that contribute to the aesthetic development of

the individual. They function as complex symbol systems, allowing individuals to assign meaning to human

experience, and they represent and evoke responses to life. Music pervades all cultures and evokes a broad

spectrum of human emotional response. As one of the Arts, music makes a profound contribution to

personal, social and cultural identity. It forms a unique means of expression and of knowing and

communicating experience.

In Music, students develop an expressive language with which to represent their observations and their

response to experiences. The building blocks of that language are the elements that are combined, according

to particular design rules or principles, so as to express particular feelings and ideas, just as words are

combined into sentences using the rules of grammar to communicate particular meaning.

Music offers its own unique symbol system: its sensory system is predominantly aural, using sound and the

sense of hearing. As an essential form of expression and communication, music provides opportunities for

aesthetic experiences. It accompanies the important social, cultural, technological, political and educational

functions of existence and enhances our celebration of life; enlightening, inspiring, relaxing, entertaining and

enriching our lives. Music has the capacity to cross national borders and assist people of different cultures to

understand each other.

Music contributes to learning through the development of aspects such as memory, coordination,

concentration and inventiveness. The study of music also develops skills such as logical, critical and divergent

thinking, decision-making, and concept formation. Studies in music cultivate specialised skills that affect other

aspects of development — cognitive, affective and psychomotor. In this way, music contributes to the

development of human intelligence. Mastery of physical and perceptual skills gives students a sense of

achievement, self-confidence and self-esteem.

Students studying music are empowered by its vast capacity as a creative medium. They gain insight, discover

sensibility and learn the self-discipline that leads to artistic freedom. Music education programs inspire

students to be involved with music as a leisure pursuit or as a career.

Music also earns its place in the general curriculum because it offers a unique way of understanding the

world. It presents a distinct form of meaning, affords insight into the nature of feelings and can contribute to

emotional development. Studies in music, therefore, offer a unique form of self-expression and

communication.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM All students who wish to be involved in the instrumental program are given the opportunity to join. Learning

a musical instrument makes a difference in a child. As every parent knows, their child is a mixture of nature

and nurture.

Learning music from an early age enables neural pathways to grow in ways that can help your child maximise

the potential they were born with. Research shows that playing music can make significant differences to

children's abilities related to learning, memory and social interactions. Playing music:

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM HANDBOOK 5

• Increases memory and reasoning capacity, time management skills and eloquence

• Improves concentration, memory and self-expression

• Improves the ability to think

• Music training improves verbal memory

• Learning music helps under-performing students to improve

Not only is music an excellent opportunity, it also provides a holistic educational experience for your child.

At Glasshouse Christian College, we provide many different opportunities for students to become involved

in instrumental music. Students can commence learning an instrument from Prep (limited to some

instruments) through to Year 12. We provide private individual and group tuition for piano, guitar,

percussion, woodwind and brass instruments and vocal.

The classroom music results are used to determine the aural awareness of students who will be involved in

the Year 5 Instrumental Band Program. All students who have their own instrument may learn in our

program. We have a limited number of instruments available for hire and where students choose to learn an

instrument outside of the set instrumental programs; we encourage families to purchase/hire instruments

from music instrumental companies (see school website).

INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS Students can commence instrumental lessons as young as Prep at the discretion of the tutor. Woodwind and

brass instruments are not ideal for lower primary students due to their physical size and not yet having the

lung capacity to handle these instruments. Often piano is a great option for young students as it allows them

to experience pitch, rhythm and beat recognition. A student can continue learning their instrument and

participating in ensembles even when involved with the Year 3 Smart Strings Program and Year 5 Band

Program.

STRING PROGRAM

Year 3: Smart Stings

Smart Strings is a compulsory program commencing in Year 3. Smart Strings is delivered by Mr Yusupov who

have extensive experience in playing and teaching stringed instruments. The Smart Strings program involves a

one half hour lesson each week in which the whole class participates. Violins are provided to the students for

each lesson. Studen